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During the 15 years NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has orbited the Earth,
it has taken more than 700,000 photos of the cosmos; images that have
awed, astounded and even confounded astronomers and the public.

NASA released new views today of two of the most well-known objects
Hubble has ever observed: the Whirlpool Galaxy (spiral galaxy M51)
[left] and the Eagle Nebula [right]. These new images are among the
largest and sharpest Hubble has ever taken. They were made with Hubble's
newest camera, the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The images are so
incredibly sharp, they could be enlarged to billboard size and still
retain stunning details.

For the 15th anniversary, scientists used the ACS to record a new region
of the eerie-looking Eagle Nebula. The Eagle Nebula image reveals a
tall, dense tower of gas being sculpted by ultraviolet light from a
group of massive, hot stars. The new Whirlpool Galaxy image showcases
the spiral galaxy's classic features, from its curving arms, where
newborn stars reside, to its yellowish central core that serves as home
for older stars. A feature of considerable interest is the companion
galaxy located at the end of one of the spiral arms.